thill@ssc-bee.UUCP (Tom Hill) (05/01/85)
President Reagan's visit to Bitburg has obviously been a public relations
boo boo here in the U.S.A.. Many, however, have simply used this as yet
another soapbox from which to lament their untiring hatred for our
President. The Net postings have shown me just how bountiful the sour grape
crop has become since Mr. Mondale was soundly trounced at the polls.
Why was Reagan even scheduled to place a wreath at Bitburg? Many would have
us believe that it is because he wishes to honor the SS dead. The problem
with this is that it ignores the fact that Reagan is to lay the wreath on the
same spot that the Commander of the near by U.S.A.F. base has placed a wreath
each year since 1959! The visit was originally scheduled, I believe, as
a conciliatory gesture toward the German people. How many of you have read
your newspapers close enough to learn that on Christmas Eve 1944 allied
bombers destroyed Bitburg? When we finally reached Bitburg with ground
troops there were only about sixty people still living in the "town."
The hysteric responses have ruined any chance that this proposed visit may
have had as a gesture of good will. Next time, hopefully, the President's
scouting party will do their homwork a bit better and hopefully
so will the press.
Tom Hill
P.S. I despise what the Nazis did and in no way condone any of their
actions.
P.P.S. I find it interesting that numerous postings were made on both the
Bitburg visit and the News crew who were killed but not a peep was
made by these very same people when a U.S. Major was murdered by
a Soviet soldier.thill@ssc-bee.UUCP (Tom Hill) (05/03/85)
I found this letter to the editor in the Wednesday, May 1, 1985 edition of the Seattle Times. There were six or seven others but this one caught my eye and I hope that it catches yours. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- There has been a lot of opposition and little support for the president's visit to a German cemetery. Through this I have been saying, "When will these people show just a little forgiveness?" But just when my self-righteousness was at its peak, I heard a report that the SS soldiers in that cemetery were the very men who committed the massacre at Malmedy. Suddenly it was my ox that was being gored. I was in that battle area and near enough to the Malmedy massacre to consider it my concern. As you might expect, my first reaction was emotional. I was ready to join forces with those opposed to the cemetery visit. But then I began to remember more about those days and those battles. I remembered what war did to me and to those around me. In fact, I remember some other atrocities that were never reported in a newspaper. I remember German prisoners who never saw a prison camp because they "tried to escape." I remember an operation where my sergeant, who was Jewish, could hardly bring himself to pass his orders to us. His orders from our officers were that in this operation we were to take no prisoners. Mr. President, I am not only ready to forgive, but earnestly suggest it is time that you also ask forgiveness for the things American soldiers did. -- Frank Baker --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Hill
mjk@ttrdc.UUCP (Mike Kelly) (05/04/85)
>From: thill@ssc-bee.UUCP (Tom Hill) >Why was Reagan even scheduled to place a wreath at Bitburg? Many would have >us believe that it is because he wishes to honor the SS dead. No, I come down with the London Observer on this: it shows the limits of both his intellect and imagination. He just didn't think. Or maybe he was sleeping when the decision was made. Mike Kelly